The apartment was deathly silent. The only sound was the heavy thumping of my heart against my ribs. I had changed out of the tight dress and into a simple, oversized sweater, but I still felt like I was burning up. I sat on my bed, staring at the sliver of moonlight on the floor, thinking about Alex's mother sleeping just a few feet away.
Then, I heard it. A faint click.
My door opened slowly, and a tall shadow slipped inside. My breath hitched in my throat as the scent of sandalwood and expensive soap filled the small room.
"Luna," Alex whispered.
He didn't wait for me to speak. He crossed the room in two long strides and pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest, the familiar heat of his body making me feel safe for the first time since his mother arrived. He held me so tightly, as if he were afraid I would vanish if he let go.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured into my hair, his voice rough with emotion. "I wanted to tell her. I wanted to scream the truth, but I can't risk her taking you away from me, Luna. Not yet."
I looked up at him, my eyes wet with tears. "She wants you to marry someone else, Alex. She's already chosen a girl. How can we ever be together .
Alex cupped my face in his large, warm hands. His thumb traced the line of my bottom lip, his gaze dark and intense. "She can plan a hundred weddings, but I will never say 'I do' to anyone but you. You have to trust me."
We were finally having our happy moment. The tension from the office was returning, and for a second, I forgot all about the woman in the guest room. Alex leaned down, his lips inches from mine—
Clack.
The sound of a bedroom door opening echoed through the silent hallway. We both froze, our bodies stiffening with pure terror.
Footsteps. Slow, rhythmic footsteps were moving toward the kitchen.
"My mother," Alex hissed, his voice barely a breath.
We stayed perfectly still, huddled together in the dark. My heart was beating so loudly I was sure she could hear it through the walls. I could picture her—walking to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, pouring a glass of cold water.
What if she decided to check on me? What if she called out Alex's name and realized his room was empty? If she found us like this—in my bedroom, in the middle of the night—my image would be ruined forever. She would think I was a girl who used her "scholarship" to trap her son. I would be kicked out of the college, disgraced and alone.
We heard the sound of water running, then the soft thud of the refrigerator door closing. The footsteps moved back down the hall. A few seconds later, we heard her bedroom door click shut.
She was gone. But the fear remained.
"Alex, you have to go," I whispered, pushing gently against his chest. "You have to go back to your room right now. If she finds out, it will be the end for me. I can't lose everything, Alex."
Alex looked at the door, then back at me. He knew I was right. The risk was too high. But he wasn't ready to leave without marking me as his own one last time.
He grabbed my waist and pulled me into a deep, burning kiss. It wasn't the kiss of a professor; it was the kiss of a man who was claiming what belonged to him. It was a promise.
"Listen to me," he said, his forehead resting against mine. "From now on, when she is awake, we behave like we did on the first day. We will be strangers. We will be 'Professor' and 'Student.' But the moment she is not around... the moment we are alone... I will come to you."
He moved his lips to my ear, his breath hot and dangerous.
"And every time I come to you, Luna... I want you to give me a hug. I want you to give me a kiss. I want you to remind me why I am fighting this war. You are mine, and no one—not even my mother—can keep us apart."
He gave my hand one last squeeze before slipping out of the door as silently as a ghost. I sat back down on my bed, my lips still tingling from his kiss. The wall was back up, but now I knew there was a secret door. And only Alex had the key.
Next morning. Luna wake up and dress like she usually do.
Alex in his room getting ready for the college.
Alex's mother makeing breakfast for both of them.
Luna come for breakfast and politely say morning to Alex mother and she also simple and replied to her .
Alex come and they both completed their breakfast.
Alex call luna and they leave for college.
In the car Alex hole her hand and told her .
Luna try to gain my mother's love . She is so sweet and kind woman if she loves you than it easy for us to make her agree for us.
They reach college and luna go to her class.
Through the college every time she saw Alex with her . She get jealous of them .